Blog Archives - Mercari India

September 17, 2026

Inside the Manager’s Mind: Aditya on Autonomous Teams, Cross-Border Product Ownership, and Leadership in 2026

Welcome to Inside the Manager’s Mind – a space dedicated to exploring the real-world decisions, cultural bridges, and strategic shifts shaping technology leadership at Mercari India. We sat down with Aditya Agarwal, PM Manager leading Mercari’s Global Cross-Border (GOB) product team in Bengaluru. Having joined Mercari with over a decade of management experience, Aditya is spearheading product efforts that connect Japanese sellers with buyers around the world. The Evolution of Leadership: From Task-Tracker to Strategic Enabler Leadership looks fundamentally different today than it did a decade ago. The rise of AI tools and a shifting tech landscape have altered the classic manager dynamic eliminating the need for endless daily status checks or top-down delegation. “A lot of routine tactical work that managers used to delegate can now be accelerated through AI,” Aditya notes. “At the same time, product management teams are increasingly composed of senior talent who are already self-sufficient. Today’s manager needs to be a hybrid – part functional expert, part strategic enabler, and part individual contributor.” In this model, trust isn’t built through constant scrums or daily hand-holding, but through consistent delivery and giving team members room to execute. “Mercari’s culture strongly reinforces “Be a Pro” and “All for One”. People are naturally self-motivated. As a manager, your job isn’t to micromanage daily tasks; it’s to unlock what people are capable of doing when given genuine room to grow.” Bridging Bengaluru and Tokyo: From Problem Solvers to Problem Owners Building products out of Bengaluru for a business rooted in Japan brings a unique set of cross-border challenges. Product managers serve as the essential bridge between business (sales and marketing in Tokyo) and software engineering (in India). “Product management requires perfect harmony with business teams,” explains Aditya. “When your operational counterpart sits in Tokyo, you lose those spontaneous hallway… <a class="more-link" href="https://about.in.mercari.com/news/blog/inside-the-managers-mind-aditya-on-autonomous-teams-cross-border-product-ownership-and-leadership-in-2026/">Continue reading Inside the Manager’s Mind: Aditya on Autonomous Teams, Cross-Border Product Ownership, and Leadership in 2026</a>

July 14, 2026

Where India Meets Japan: Inside Mercari’s New Office, Built to Inspire

Author: Manjunath Raghavendra, India Corporate Head The first thing you notice when you step out of the elevator into Mercari’s new India office at Embassy Tech Village (ETV), Bengaluru is not the furniture, the lighting, or even the view. It is the Mercari wall, the mission statement, and the lobby items – actual products sold on the Mercari C2C marketplace – bold, visible, and impossible to miss. They set the tone before anyone has even reached their desk. These are not just decorative elements; they are a statement of intent: a daily reminder of who we are, what we value, and why the work happening here matters. Welcome to Mercari’s new home in India – a workspace designed to bring together Indian energy, Mercari Japan culture & values, and a global outlook under one roof. A Vision Rooted in Purpose Every great office starts with a question: what is this space actually for? For Mercari India, the answer was clear: create a workspace that empowers our India engineering teams to build and deliver products for users around the world. Not just a place to sit and work, but an environment designed to help people focus, collaborate, experiment, and do their best work every day. That vision evolved into a design concept with an Indo-Japanese touch, supported by global elements throughout. The idea was to honor Mercari’s Japanese roots while celebrating the vibrancy and pace of India – and to do it in a way that reflects how Mercari operates today: across borders, across cultures, and with teams building for a global user base. The result is not a Tokyo office transplanted into India, and not a space disconnected from where Mercari began. It is a genuine meeting point – a physical expression of collaboration between India and Japan, shaped by… <a class="more-link" href="https://about.in.mercari.com/news/blog/where-india-meets-japan-inside-mercaris-new-office-built-to-inspire/">Continue reading Where India Meets Japan: Inside Mercari’s New Office, Built to Inspire</a>

May 1, 2026

When One Model Isn’t Enough: Building Multimodal Adult Content Detection for Mercari B2C

Abstract Every B2C product listing on Mercari must be screened for adult content before it reaches buyers. We built a multimodal ML pipeline that analyses both product images and listing text to make these decisions at scale. This post describes the system’s design: a custom PyTorch fusion model that combines MobileNet V2 image embeddings with Japanese BERT text embeddings, run in parallel with third-party API, with an OR gate combining their outputs. We cover our choice of fusion strategies (concatenation MLP vs. cross-attention), why we decided to run two independent classifiers rather than relying on one, and what we found when we attempted to improve performance by sub-classifying adult contents into finer-grained categories. We also outline the offline evaluation framework used to validate these decisions. Content Moderation on a B2C Marketplace Managing the scale of Mercari’s B2C catalog involves screening millions of listings, where every entry consists of seller-uploaded imagery and unstructured Japanese text (titles, descriptions, and category metadata). Ensuring these listings adhere to our safety policies is paramount, with adult content detection representing one of our most critical moderation challenges. The fundamental difficulty lies in the fact that “adult content” is a spectrum rather than a discrete binary class. On one end, we find unambiguous violations: explicit imagery or text that is clearly prohibited. At the other end, however, are edge cases where the content is benign in isolation but becomes problematic when combined. For instance, a piece of lingerie photographed on a mannequin is a standard product shot. The same garment, described with sexually suggestive language, shifts the listing into a different category. An art book containing classical nude paintings is a legitimate product. A cropped detail from one of those paintings, listed without context, raises different questions. This nuance implies that relying on a single modality, whether… <a class="more-link" href="https://about.in.mercari.com/news/blog/when-one-model-isnt-enough-building-multimodal-adult-content-detection-for-mercari-b2c/">Continue reading When One Model Isn’t Enough: Building Multimodal Adult Content Detection for Mercari B2C</a>

February 4, 2026

Optimists, Pessimists, and Realists: Leading in an AI-Native World – Sanu Satyadarshi

As Mercari continues to scale its Artificial Intelligence capabilities, we’ve had the opportunity to work closely with engineers, managers (both technical and non-technical), and leaders across the organization. One thing has become immediately clear: almost everyone has a strong opinion about how AI will change our world, or at least how it will change their work. These perspectives are often deeply polarized. Some see AI as the most transformative shift since the internet. Others view it with skepticism or concern. Both reactions are understandable. What matters most, however, is how organizations learn to navigate these differing worldviews while continuing to build reliable, production-grade systems. To make sense of these dynamics, one useful way to look at AI adoption inside organizations is through three broad cultural lenses: Optimists, Pessimists, and Realists. This framing isn’t meant to judge or rank perspectives. Instead, it helps leaders understand motivations, sources of friction, and how to channel disagreement productively. Part I: Understanding the Three Cultures The Optimists: The Force Multipliers Optimists are often found among senior leadership and engineers who are directly building AI- and LLM-based products. Their energy is infectious. Conversations with this group are often filled with statements like, “This is the biggest shift since the internet.” From their perspective, AI is a genuine force multiplier, work that once took weeks can now be done in days, sometimes hours. While this is an oversimplification, the underlying momentum is real. What defines Optimists is not uniform motivation, but consistent enthusiasm. They are excited by faster product cycles, new technical possibilities, and step-changes in how businesses operate. In many organizations, they become champions of change, pushing teams to think bigger and move faster. At the same time, optimism without intellectual humility can become a liability. Healthy ambition must be paired with rigorous questioning. The strongest… <a class="more-link" href="https://about.in.mercari.com/ai-native/optimists-pessimists-and-realists-leading-in-an-ai-native-world/">Continue reading Optimists, Pessimists, and Realists: Leading in an AI-Native World – Sanu Satyadarshi</a>

December 1, 2025

Early Exposure, Real Growth, and a Team That Connects

Welcome to Inside the Manager’s Mind – where early exposure, real-world context, and team trust shape how engineers grow. In this edition, meet Archita Bansal, Engineering Manager at Trust and Safety team at Mercari, shares how a focused trip to our Tokyo office helped junior engineers get hands-on with the product, build cross-location collaboration, and step up their ownership in a big way. Building Teams That Grow Together At Mercari, we often talk about working across locations. But building a truly global team is much more than syncing calendars across time zones. It means creating opportunities for engineers to understand different cultures, work styles and product contexts, and to see how all of these come together in the way we build products. It’s equally about building trust across teams and countries so collaboration feels natural, not forced. As managers, one of the most meaningful things we can do is design experiences that help people grow, not only in their technical skills, but also in confidence, perspective, and ownership. Just as importantly, we play a key role in how they bring empathy and context into their conversations and decision-making, so they can contribute more thoughtfully to both their teams and the broader organization. What I Do I lead a horizontal engineering team at Mercari, working with cross-functional partners across locations. My focus is on enabling engineers to work effectively in a distributed, multicultural setup. Creating opportunities for exposure, learning, and ownership and building bridges between teams so collaboration is driven by trust and shared context. In short, I aim to make global work not just the way we operate, but the way we grow. A Strategic Opportunity During a recent business trip to our Tokyo office, I made a deliberate decision to bring along two of our junior engineers, Shivani and… <a class="more-link" href="https://about.in.mercari.com/news/blog/early-exposure-real-growth-and-a-team-that-connects/">Continue reading Early Exposure, Real Growth, and a Team That Connects</a>

August 19, 2025

Migrating Coupons from Monolith to Microservice

Our JourneyBackground: The Heart of Our Platform Coupons are central to our platform, driving user engagement and retention through credit points and discounts. Historically, this critical system resided within our extensive PHP monolith, deeply integrated with almost all major modules like accounting, payment processing, checkout, listings, and item management. While this architecture initially facilitated rapid iteration, its limitations became apparent as our product and team grew. Why We Decided to Migrate The coupon domain’s deep entanglement with critical modules increasingly hampered agility and introduced operational risks. As some parts of our system transitioned to microservices while others remained in the monolith, complexity mounted. Our key motivations for this migration included: Technical Debt: The monolith’s increasing complexity hindered development and heightened regression risks. Scalability: Coupon processing needed to accommodate a growing user base and higher loads. Reliability and Ownership: We needed clearer data ownership boundaries and a straightforward path for performance optimization. What This Blog Post Covers In this post, I will detail the approach we adopted for migrating our coupon system to a robust, scalable microservice, including our methodology, the challenges we encountered, and the lessons we learned.The Challenges Migrating a critical domain like coupons involves more than just moving code. Here’s what made this journey particularly complex: Tight Coupling: The coupon domain’s pervasive connections to accounting, payments, listing, and item screens meant that moving one piece affected many others. Always-On Expectations: Our services needed to remain continuously available without significant downtime or interruptions. Data Consistency: The migration demanded meticulous management to prevent any coupon, transaction, or reward notification from being missed. Scalability: The new architecture had to match or surpass the original system’s scale. Performance: Achieving the monolith’s native speed despite additional network hops was a significant hurdle. Unclear Ownership: Ambiguities regarding endpoint and database ownership required resolution before… <a class="more-link" href="https://about.in.mercari.com/news/mercari-india/migrating-coupons-from-monolith-to-microservice/">Continue reading Migrating Coupons from Monolith to Microservice</a>

July 9, 2025

Inside The Live2Test 2025: The Premier Online Conference for Software Testing – Udit Gattani

The Live2Test 2025 tech panel explored the rapidly evolving technological landscape of software testing, focusing on the influence of Artificial Intelligence and other breakthrough technologies. The conversation delved into the transformation of traditional testing workflows, the rise of AI-augmented approaches, and the crucial role testers must play in navigating changes across the industry. Amidst the excitement about cutting-edge tools like ChatGPT and blockchain, the panel delivered an honest message: Testers who fail to adapt and embrace these innovations will risk falling behind. More than ever, testers are expected to graduate from repetitive tasks to high-level problem-solving, risk assessment, and strategic thinking. Key Takeaways 1. The Tester’s Role is Transforming The iconic manual tester role is rapidly becoming outdated. While this doesn’t mean testers are being replaced, their roles are undeniably evolving. Testers must now think beyond execution and focus on bigger-picture responsibilities, such as risk profiling, evaluating AI model behavior, and designing prompts for AI systems. These emergent skills are what will define the future of testing, leaving behind the “button-clicker” mindset of the past. 2. AI is Just a Tool, Not a Cure-All AI’s ability to accelerate and automate aspects of testing is undeniable, but it’s neither magic nor a one-size-fits-all solution. Tools like ChatGPT, AI-based test case generators, and coding copilots are only as effective as the humans directing them. Over-reliance on these tools—without proper judgment—can result in flawed test cases, defective releases, and even security risks. 3. Upskilling in AI is Non-Negotiable As AI becomes a critical part of software development and testing cycles, training in AI concepts is no longer a “nice-to-have.” Organizations must empower their teams with skills in AI fundamentals, risk detection, prompt engineering, and ethical usage guidelines to keep pace with industry demands. A highly trained, AI-capable team will also help ensure that… <a class="more-link" href="https://about.in.mercari.com/news/mercari-india/inside-the-live2test-2025-the-premier-online-conference-for-software-testing-udit-gattani/">Continue reading Inside The Live2Test 2025: The Premier Online Conference for Software Testing – Udit Gattani</a>

June 19, 2025

Inside the FIDO Alliance Meetup: 100+ Experts, 50+ Orgs, and Mercari on the Panel, Rooparsh

Event Name: FIDO Alliance India Working Group (FIWG) Member Meetup and Workshop Attendee: Over 100 participants representing 50+ organizations, hosted at the Google Ananta office in Bengaluru. On Friday, 6 June 2025, I had the privilege of attending the FIDO India Working Group (FIWG) meetup as a panelist representing Mercari. The event brought together pioneers, thought leaders, and technologists to discuss the progress and future of FIDO-based authentication. Hosted at the Google Ananta office, the event wasn’t just an exchange of technical insights but also a collaborative space to ideate a passwordless future. The discussions centered around the challenges of traditional authentication mechanisms involving passwords and OTPs and how FIDO’s innovative framework can streamline authentication while bolstering security. The event saw impressive contributions from companies like Google, Zoho, Times Internet, Mastercard, and VinCSS, further showcasing how FIDO standards are being applied to a wide array of industries, including IoT.With over 100 participants from 50+ organizations, the energy was palpable, enhanced by Google’s cutting-edge venue and delightful food. Key Takeaways: Transitioning to Passkeys: Times Internet shared their hands-on journey of migrating from passwords to passkeys, highlighting technical obstacles as well as their solutions to make user adoption seamless. Hearing about their significant improvements in both user experience and security was an important learning experience for all. Zoho’s Impactful Solutions: Zoho presented their FIDO-compliant solutions, which are aiding numerous IT companies in enhancing authentication experiences. Their insights showcased how FIDO standards can deliver both security and usability in enterprise settings. Mastercard & RBI Collaboration: Mastercard unveiled their ambitious plans to roll out passkey authentication solutions in partnership with the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). The room was buzzing with excitement over how these upcoming changes could transform authentication systems in India, particularly in the financial sector. IoT with Passkeys (VinCSS): A standout topic… <a class="more-link" href="https://about.in.mercari.com/uncategorized/inside-the-fido-alliance-meetup-100-experts-50-orgs-and-mercari-on-the-panel-rooparsh/">Continue reading Inside the FIDO Alliance Meetup: 100+ Experts, 50+ Orgs, and Mercari on the Panel, Rooparsh</a>

May 28, 2025

Inside the manager’s mind : Manjunath Sagar

Welcome to inside the manager’s mind — a space where leadership meets reality. Explore the highs, lows, and everyday decisions that shape teams and drive success. From strategic thinking to people management, this blog offers raw insights and practical wisdom for those leading or aspiring to lead. In this feature we’d like you to meet Sagar! Sagar : At Mercari India, rapid expansion is more than just scaling numbers—it’s about intentional leadership that fosters clarity, unlocks potential, and nurtures an empowered culture. For me, effective management isn’t just about driving performance; it’s about guiding with steadiness, leading with empathy, and creating a foundation of trust. As we continue to grow, I find myself leaning on a set of principles—some expected, some unconventional—that have shaped the way I support my team. Whether it’s welcoming new talent, refining HR initiatives, or championing individual growth, these values remain at the core of how I lead. 1. Anchor in Calm Amidst Chaos Change fuels innovation, but it also brings uncertainty. In high-growth environments, teams don’t just look to their leaders for solutions—they look for steadiness. My guiding principle: My calm creates their safety; my clarity gives them direction. What I do: Every one-on-one starts the same way—with a genuine “How are you doing?” before diving into work. This small act of care fosters trust and sets the tone for a culture of support. 2. Empower Through Context, Not Control Momentum thrives when people feel empowered, not micromanaged. Providing context allows teams to move with confidence and make decisions independently. What I do: During onboarding and team syncs, I take extra time to explain the reasoning behind our goals—not just what we’re doing, but why it matters. The result? A team that thinks critically, acts decisively, and continuously grows. 3. Normalize “I Don’t Know” Leadership… <a class="more-link" href="https://about.in.mercari.com/news/mercari-india/inside-the-managers-mind-manjunath-sagar/">Continue reading Inside the manager’s mind : Manjunath Sagar</a>

October 22, 2024

Sparking Innovation & Collaboration: Inside Mercari India Hackathon 2.0

At Mercari, we’re driven by a spirit of innovation, an eagerness to build solutions that redefine landscapes, and our value of going bold. It is this culture and spirit that has helped us design a product and platform that is a market leader and growing consistently. Never is this spirit and culture more visible than during our annual hackathon. The first iteration of this hackathon happened with great success last year, and therefore, when I got the opportunity to be on the organizing team for Hackathon 2.0, I was beyond excited! It was, of course, going to be bigger than ever! The hackathon was evolving into a global Mercari construct where winners from different geographies would come together and compete for the ultimate recognition at the finale in our Japan HQ. But first, why even do a hackathon? We do it because it creates a unique space for employees to think outside the box and challenge themselves. In a structured work environment, it’s easy to get engrossed in daily responsibilities and deadlines. A hackathon allows us to hit the pause button on these routines and encourages team members to brainstorm solutions that might not typically emerge. This not only sparks innovation but also cultivates a sense of ownership and pride in one’s ideas. Building the Construct Step 1 of the process was putting together a dream team that would help us put an event of this magnitude together. For this, we searched across experience levels, job roles and domains to put together a diverse team. This was critical so that we could bring in different kinds of perspectives and cover all aspects that would go into making this event successful. The team – Rafael Marcos da Silva, Priyanka Sharma, Gaurav Bansal, Sanu Satyadarshi, Samkit Jain, Yogesh Gophane, Adarsh Gupta, Noush… <a class="more-link" href="https://about.in.mercari.com/news/mercari-india-hackathon-2024/">Continue reading Sparking Innovation & Collaboration: Inside Mercari India Hackathon 2.0</a>

September 30, 2024

Mercari’s Role as a Startup Hiring Indian Engineers Highlighted as Japan’s Speaker of the House of Representatives Visits Mercari’s India Office, Meets with India PM Modi

February 29, 2024

Event Report: Round Table Conference on GenAI

We hosted a round table conference on generative AI at Mercari India on February 23rd in association with The Fifth Elephant community. The event was aimed to get the insights from some of the great minds working in the space and also share and popularize the initiatives that Mercari is working on in the field of Generative AI. Participants We were joined by over 20 participants, including CxO’s of multiple startups, Heads of Generative AI verticals, and renowned industry experts that made the event a huge success. Mercari’s participation was represented by Yuki ISHIKAWA and Vish Magapu along with Sharma RAJESH and Vaibhav Khurana Highlights from the Conference If you are interested in learning about Mercari’s efforts in Generative AI, please visit this page / Mercari AI Also, be sure to follow Mercari India’s social media accounts!

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